Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-27
SHE WANTED ROSS AT ONCE.
Mrs. Harper's Theatrical Effort TO
Recall Her Truant Love.
New York Sun

Dwclers in the neighb0rhood OF Lex
ington avenue and Forty-third street were
startled yesterday by the arrival OF Belle
yue. Hospital ambulance in front of the
clearinghouse at Az Lexington avenue,
followed by two physicians. In five min
uies crowd gathered. The excitement
increased when il was rumOred in the
crowd that jealous woman had commit
ted suicide. Meanwhile q serio-cOmic play
was going on behind the doors.
Several months ago Ross Harper, OF Is
east Seventeenth street, and 4 woman whom
he introduced as MIS-. Ross Harper, took
rooms at Ala Lexington avenue. Mrs.
Harper was ten years his elder, and they
were said by the other bOarders 10 be mis-
mated She is a rather good.lOoking, viva
cious brunette.
A month ago Harper ceased to live with
the woman, but paid her bills at the board.
ing-house and lived at his mothers home,
near by. Mrs. Harper told the landlady
that she did not live at home because she
did not like her mother.in-law, but the
landlady said last evening that Mrs. HaT-
der has another husband living, and that
no marriage ceremony has been performed
in uniting Mr.. and Mrs. Ross Harper. Mr..
Harper had told the landlsdy that he first
met bis wife as a waitress in downtown
dairy.
Ailer Mr. Harper had ceased to live with
Mrs. Harper, the landlady said last eve
ping. Mrs. Harper was found one night
wing on the kitchen floor apparently IN q
stupor. physician, suspecting trickery,
applied the poles Of galvanic battery to
Mrs. Harper with prompt and satisfactory
results. On another occasion Mrs. Harper
was found grooming in bed, and The land
lady told her 10 go into the annexed dts
trict and take rat poison II she wanted to
commit suicide. Mrs. Harper was so an
sry that she got well Immediately.
Yesterday Mrs. Harper visited Mr.. Har-
per's store. After some angry words she
went TO the boarding house where her IN
valid sister Anna, a paralytic, lay sleeping.
Mrs. Harper arrayed herself In fine clothing,
rot emitting to put on a blue satin corset,
and, SO that it would be observed, pinned
10 il a note on which was written the
words:
"Send for Ross at once"
Then she placed bottle bali filed with
cblorosorm at the bedside, and laid down
10 wait with her mouth open. Her sister
awoke, believed her to be dead, and alarm
ed the boarders. A sympathetic boarder
refused TO listen to the landiady's exc
plana.on that this was one OF Mrs. Harper's
tricks. but summoned policeman, who
called an ambulance. DR.. Small, OF 100 east
Thrsy.ninth street. was brought IN by
another bosrder. When the landlady, two
physicians, and an ambulance surgeon
went TO the room OF the sufferer they saw
her through the crack OF the door as she
reached for the chloroform bottle. Then
they marched In in single file. Mrs. Harper
imme diately became unconscious. DR..
ii.
lady mounted on the bed, forced the emetic
into the woman's mouth. and held her nos
trils.
When Mrs. Harper felt better, as she had
10 do pretty sooD, she discovered that the
physicians and, re ambulance surgeon had
GONE away. Throwing shawl about her
shoulders she declared that no one In that
house would ever see ber again, and she
passed majesticaly out into the street with
a suicidal expression In her eve. A boarder
ran down the avenue barebeaded TO tell a
policeman that Mrs. Harper was going TO
XIII herself. The policeman arrested her and
took her to the station under the Grand
Central depot, where she was charged With
Attempting suicide. The landlady OF Ala
Lexington Avenue was summoned, but she
would not prosecute the charge and Mrs.
Harper was discharged. Yesterday after.
noon she called at the clearinghouse and
demanded her purse. The landlady told
her that she bad taken all the money there
was In Mrs. Harper's purse (s4) to pay the
physicians who had been summoned TO
attend her.
Mrs. Harper's sister was very i'll last
evening and was not expected TO recover.
The whereabouts OF Mrs. Harper Ia not
Known. MIR. Harper will care for Mrs.
JiarpeT's sister.